Old Glory Adds Young American Lock Rick Rose

By Alistair Kirsch-Poole
Nov 5, 2025 - 5:30pm

Old Glory has announced the signing of young American lock Rick Rose to the 2026 roster. The 24-year-old Ohio native started playing rugby as a freshman in high school and continued his rugby at St. Bonaventure University. He was captain of the team in his junior and senior years, earning NCR All-American honors. In the lead-up to the 2023 MLR draft, he played in the Collegiate Rugby Shield for the Canyons. He was selected first overall in the draft by the Miami Sharks.

He played two seasons with the Sharks, playing for 997 minutes in 16 appearances, 12 starts, in his rookie season in 2024. He missed the beginning of the 2025 season, possibly with injury, and didn't return until the team's eighth match of the season. When he did return, it was to a bench role, playing for 272 minutes in 9 appearances, just 2 of them starts.

He has attracted the attention of the national team, joining the Eagles for multiple camps before being named to the travelling squad for the current Autumn tour. He has yet to make his debut, but it has been long discussed by fans and feels likely to happen in the near future.

Rose joins a lock position at Old Glory that is full of established talent. Tevita Naqali and Rob Harley are the established starters, with the latter yet to be confirmed but expected to return. Unseating Naqali, an experienced Old Glory stalwart and capped Eagle, would be a tough prospect, while Harley captained the team last year and was one of the msot heavily used players last season. The best chance Rose has of grabbing a starting spot, outside of injury, is if the 35-year-old Harley is pulled into more of a coaching role and leaves the hard hitting to the youngsters.

Given that, Rose will likely find himself in competition to be the primary option off the bench. That role has been filled for the last two seasons by another young American, Bill Whiteside, although he also has yet to be confirmed as returning. If he does, it will set up a competition where both will be trying to prove their worth to the coaching staff to earn what minutes they can.

There is also the possibility for other players to be added to the roster who could be vying for the same spots. Charlie Overton was on the roster last season, although he has yet to make his professional debut. There's also still the possibility of the team adding another player from one of the collapsing teams, such as Chase Jones, Tomás Casares, or William Waguespack, although this signing makes that seem more unlikely.